Do you carry a knife for self defense?

Like most on this forum I have had a knife in my pocket for a few years. I keep it around to have options or the power and freedom to choose. If I don't have it on me I don't have as much freedom to choose when faced with some situations including cutting a cardboard box.

When it comes to only having a knife in a situation that calls for a weapon of defense I found if all you have is a hammer everything turns into nail.

I would also recommend mentally going through the situation you put yourself in during a knife fight. You are trying to stop someone or change their mind from taking a bad action by cutting\stabbing them or showing force and you don’t have time to put on rubber gloves.
 
I've carried a pocket knife for all my life since my age was single digit. Can't remember exactly when. Traditional slip joints like stockmen, barlows, sak's. I would not use my pocket knife for defence. Never get it out in time, and I always have my Irish Blackthorn walking stick with me, needed for a bum wheel under me.

I always prefer a blunt object, stick, bar stool, bottle, fire extingusher, heavy ash tray, pool que...
 
I carry knives for utility reasons. Depending on the part of town I have to go to I do consider their self defense value when choosing which knife to take.

I take Kali lessons three times a week, aminly because I need to shed a few pounds and its great fun, but trainning really helps.

However, I'd rather use my gun to defend my self!
 
you should carry knives as tools.

if you are that concerned about SD then get a gun or tazer.
 
I would seriously doubt I would ever use any of mine for SD.

I am afraid that it would be used against me as I have no skill in knife fighting.

If someone was holding me up and had a knife or a gun and asked for my money I'd hand them my wallet and my watch and tell them I didn't want any trouble.

If they had nothing I'd fist fight them.

I think I would only use my knife if I thought I was going to die.
 
Nope. I'm the anti-mall-ninja.

I carry a very small fixed blade at work that I only have occational use for, cutting plastic tubing and opening packages.

-Bob
 
I carry a variety of small folding knives for general utility purposes.

I can't imagine using one for self defense unless I had time to use it to cut a good stout stick. :)
 
jackknife said:
I've carried a pocket knife for all my life since my age was single digit. Can't remember exactly when. Traditional slip joints like stockmen, barlows, sak's. I would not use my pocket knife for defence. Never get it out in time, and I always have my Irish Blackthorn walking stick with me, needed for a bum wheel under me.

I always prefer a blunt object, stick, bar stool, bottle, fire extingusher, heavy ash tray, pool que...
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I'm with you, jackknife - I like a good stout stick. I have a couple of blackthorns and a half a dozen shilellagh's.

I always take a "dog stick" with me when I go for a walk. I prefer one of the blackthorns or other long walking stick because the object is to create a distance between you and the dog - only striking the dog if it comes in for a bite. Thrown objects are good against dogs too - nothing beats a galvanized garbage can lid thrown like a frisbee. When I was a garbageman (around 30 years ago) I once nailed an attacking dog right in the kisser at about 30 feet.
 
I carry for SD and for utility. Either way, it's sharp, pointy and does the trick.
 
My Mom served on the staff of the U.C. Irvine Hospital Trauma Center. On several occasions, I got to see the WINNERS of knife fights. :eek:

The guy with no nose and missing an ear and one eye was particularly memorable. (Mom was trying to get him to eat. His morale was poor.)

He was a "winner." The opponent was found dead when police were called to the scene by a beer delivery guy.
 
I'd rather use my 9MM Taurus for SD, it's a lot more effective, now I do carry a knife, but like most others, it's for opening mail.

BTW my mail opening knives are a Pat Crawford One hand Knife and either a Bud Nealy Aikuchi (from the early years) or a Dozier Arkansas Toothpick.(They really are for opening mail ;) )
 
I would prefer to use my AR-15 for self defense, but alas i live in illinois where i cannot carry anykind of firearm in public for any reason. But i do carry a folder for SD as well as normal cutting activities. A knife is a better SD tool than nothing. And in a elevator i guarantee i could get my folder out faster than you could get out your conceled handgun. (hint* im not going to let you draw it)I would sure rather be missing a nose and an ear than be dead, but thats just me. Remember never ever underestimate what a determined person with a 4 inch knife can do.
 
Nope, like most others I carry for the utility and convience of having a knife to cut the various and sundry. I am not trained in knife fighting and would probably end up with it stuffed up a very private portion of my anatomy.
 
BenchmadeNut said:
Remember never ever underestimate what a determined person with a 4 inch knife can do.
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Having seen the "winners," I would never do that. (Except one, all those "fights" involved "pocket knives" -- probably very cheap and probably well under 4" blades.)

Heck, I don't underestimate what a fist can do. I have seen the results on the spot and in that same hospital ward: faces half caved in, eye sockets shattered into several sections, eyes destroyed, jaws mangled, multiple teeth knocked out, depressed skull fractures - all done with fists (abetted by feet). Hits below the line of the eyebrows do remarkable things to the human skull, and these were not martial artists, just angry guys. The survivors in the hospital usually had several broken fingers. It just isn't like typical TV violence. More like Sam Peckenpaugh (SP?) violence.
 
most of the knives I carry could be used in a self defence situation, but I don't carry a knife dedicated solely to self defence. All my knives are really for utilitarian purposes, if self defence falls in there, so be it.
 
I can certainly understand preferring a gun or a blunt weapon to a knife but since knives in one form or another have killed some of the biggest animals on this planet I don't understand the idea they are useless for self defense? Knives slice through skin, muscle, nerves, ligaments, veins and arteries which to me seems to indicate they would serve very well in hurting or stopping an attacker. Are there variables? of course, but that doesn't change a knife's place in the upper echelons of weapons IMO.
 
Persev said:
I can certainly understand preferring a gun or a blunt weapon to a knife but since knives in one form or another have killed some of the biggest animals on this planet I don't understand the idea they are useless for self defense? Knives slice through skin, muscle, nerves, ligaments, veins and arteries which to me seems to indicate they would serve very well in hurting or stopping an attacker. Are there variables? of course, but that doesn't change a knife's place in the upper echelons of weapons IMO.
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The Legions stand in serried ranks, draw pocket knives and salute: "Ave Imperator!!" The steel that built an Empire.
 
I am totally in favor of knives as SD tools. They are fast, silent and often times aren't seen untill it's too late.
 
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